From Dying SunsCalamity

Though we aren’t inundated with review CDs any more (a what?), our inboxes are crammed to bursting with promo material that otherwise goes begging. When one reads “a project featuring members of Augury, Aeternam, and Killitorous” and “inspired by classic 80s platformer games such as Castlevania and Ghosts and Goblins” you don’t think, you know to press play. My God, we’re glad we did – and so will you.

Right in the glorious void that The Black Dahlia Murder and Revocation sit, From Dying Suns’ debut LP features meaty, playful, and melodious death metal the likes of which you’ve never heard the likes of which. (You totally have, but bear with me now.) Though rough as guts video game/fantasy metal has all come from the fleshy insides of one dude (Christopher Bowes of Gloryhammer, Wizardthrone, and Alestorm) we now have more than one dude. Five, in fact! Ruination begins with weighty riffage and leads a galloping, with Reverie beginning the epic quest we all dream of after pressing START.

If your controller didn’t analogue and your metal upset your mum, then this is undoubtedly for you.

The title track features parallax scrolling chugs behind zippy, laser-beam focused leads, all meandering up and down the battlespace in every concievable dimension. We’re also served mighty heapings of old school thrash (Claustrophobic), groove-laden Alice In Chains style metalli-grunge (Turn Undead) and knotty tech death (Gehenna, Undergrowth, and Ascent being the most obtuse) all barrel rolling, dodging, and weaving triumphant as our silent Belmont-y protagonist kicks ass and takes names. There’s shades of neo-baroque lace and chalice metal, spooky boy riffs, and freaky-deaky Japanese-style video game insanity thrown in for good measure.

Metalheads are pop culture fiends, and From Dying Suns are tapping (and pinch harmonic-ing) the good good right into our dopamine centres. If your controller didn’t analogue and your metal upset your mum, this is undoubtedly for you.

STICK THIS NEXT TO: The Black Dahlia Murder, Revocation, Machinae Supremacy
STANDOUT TRACKS: Reverie, Ascent, Claustrophobic